New Year's Resolutions
by Higuchimon
Summary: [one-shot, Kat x Tommy/Tommy x Kat] Kat and Tommy spend the new year with a few friends, and with each other.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations presented here and am not making any profit off of them whatsoever.  
**Story Title:** New Year's Resolutions  
**Rated:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 1,866  
**Romance:** Kat x Tommy  
**Notes:** This takes place the December/January after the Power Transfer. Comments and criticism gratefully accepted.  
**Summary:** Kat and Tommy spend the new year with a few friends, and with each other.

* * *

Sometimes Tommy wondered if his girlfriend was psychic. It didn't happen very often, but once in a while, Kat would say or do something that just made no sense, until later. The most recent example was her Christmas gift to him: a warm winter jacket, the kind one almost never saw or needed in their part of California. He'd wondered just what she expected him to do with it, until now.

Now it was exactly what he needed with the cold snap that had blanketed Angel Grove with a frozen embrace of ice. Part of him wondered for a few moments if Divatox were the cause of this; it could be part of some nasty plot against them...it wouldn't be the first time some villain had tried something related to the season or the holidays against them.

_Idiot. You're retired. Even if she is, the Rangers will handle it. That's what they're there for._

Sometimes it really blew having given up the Power.

"Hey, Tommy, stop standing there daydreaming and hand over those marshmallows!" The tall young man startled slightly at the unexpected noise and rolled his eyes. There were also times when it was worth it, just to be like this, hanging out with his best friends.

"Here you go, Rocky." Tommy tossed the bag over to his friend and settled back down into the chair that gave the most perfect view of the snow still falling down outside. He watched with half an eye as Rocky skewered a marshmallow on a long stick and held it out towards the fire crackling merrily away. Somehow, he wasn't at all surprised it had been the former Blue Zeo Ranger who had suggested doing something like this. It was his house, though, so he could suggest all the silly things that he wanted. After all, it had also been _his_ idea to have a New Year's gathering here.

He let his gaze drift around the room for a moment, watching everyone else. All of the ex-Rangers weren't there, but a few extra friends had shown up to join in the New Year's celebration. Trey and David were talking to each other on the other side of Rocky. David appeared to be trying to explain to the alien prince what marshmallows were and why one toasted them by the fire, and why one usually didn't do this sort of thing in December. It was an open question on if Trey understood any of it.

Bulk and Skull, back from wherever they'd spent the last few months, were chatting with Zack and Trini in a corner. The two original Rangers seemed to be absolutely fascinated by the changes in the former bullies. _Am I going blind or is Skull actually **flirting** with Trini?_ He couldn't be certain, but it looked like it. It also looked as if Trini didn't mind at all. That was a definite change from the old days.

"Tommy?" Kat's quiet voice was never an intrusion, and he smiled up into her warm blue eyes. "I hope I'm not bothering you, you looked as if you had something on your mind."

"Nothing much." He reassured her, touching her arm lightly. "I was just thinking about how much things have changed in the last few years."

She smiled as she sat down beside him, his arm sliding around her shoulders easily. "I know how you feel. I can't even begin to describe how much better things are since I came here."

"It might attract some of the weirder weirdos, but Angel Grove gave me some of the best friends I ever had." Tommy held her close to him, enjoying the warm feel of her so close. "And more."

For all that either of them noticed anyone else in the room, they might as well have been alone just then. Kat let out a quiet sigh of contentment, just managing to resist the urge to purr. _This is the best New Year's Eve I've had in years._

"Oh, I got a postcard from Kim on Christmas." Tommy reached over to a stack of mail and extracted it. The picture on the front was of the ex-Pink Ranger and an unfamiliar guy, hand in hand under a palm tree decorated for Christmas. "She wants to bring him down to see us sometime."

Kat glanced at the picture and smiled. "That's him, isn't it? The one..."

"Yeah." Tommy stared down at it for a few moments, trying to sort through the myriad of emotions that he was used to being assaulted by when he saw his ex. _Strange. The only thing I'm really feeling now is glad for her. For them._ "I think I want to meet him."

The blonde nodded briefly; she wanted the same thing. Whoever this guy was, he had to be very special, and neither Kat nor Tommy wanted Kim to be with someone who made her unhappy in any remote kind of way.

As Tommy put the postcard back down, Kat took a look outside. White extended outward as far as her eyes could see, but there was something else... "Tommy, it's stopped snowing!"

"It has?" Almost everyone chorused before they rushed to the windows, staring out at the pristine wonderland laid out before them. Zack grinned wildly as he thumped Skull on the arm.

"This means only one thing...snowball fight!"

In under a heartbeat, the only two left inside were Kat and Tommy. Both of them smiled a little foolishly at each other as the door slammed behind their friends. "Think we should go throw a few snowballs around?"

"I'm just as happy right here with you." Kat told him, her fingers lacing around his warmly. "It's nice in London, but I've really missed you." Working on being a professional dancer wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but the hardest part was really being away from Tommy.

He smiled warmly at her, squeezing her hand in his. "I've missed you too. I'm glad we were able to get together for this." Running around southern California going to every race he could manage had several drawbacks; the least of which was not being with his girlfriend.

"I have to go back there at the end of the week." Kat reminded him, looking away slightly. She couldn't stand to see any kind of grief or sorrow on Tommy's face, and to see a repeat of how he'd looked when she'd first told him she was going to the Royal Academy would've cut like a knife. _He's always been glad for me, but this can't be good for him. The girls he dates always seem to go away._

She looked up as he came to his feet, determination in his eyes. "Let's go for a walk. We've still got a little time. Let's put it to good use."

"All right." Kat almost didn't bother putting a jacket on as she headed for the door. She was more than warm enough just by being near Tommy. She did, however, notice that he paused to put on the jacket she'd given him. _I have to remember to thank Kim for letting me know his size. It wouldn't have been as nice a surprise if I'd gotten the wrong one, and even Tommy would've thought something was up if I'd been asking about what size clothes he wears._

As they stepped outside, the first thing Kat noticed was that the snowclouds above had cleared off, and the stars were gleaming one by one overhead. The rest of their friends were laughing and teasing each other, throwing snowballs, and she was certain that was Emily planting a New Year's Eve kiss on Jason underneath a tree. They were all so busy having fun, no one noticed the two quiet figures walking away from Rocky's house hand in hand.

Even with all the snow, it didn't take that long for them to reach the outskirts of Angel Grove Park. A few scattered streetlights lit up the area, but mostly they walked under starlight reflected from the snow. The only sound that could be heard for some time was that of them tromping their way through snowdrifts.

"Another year's almost done." Tommy murmured as they came to a halt at the top of a hill. "This time last year, we were still Zeo Rangers. We hadn't even met Trey yet. Much less Divatox or Justin. I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd see Trini and Skull flirting with each other."

"Time flies." Kat agreed. "We hadn't graduated yet, or moved out of Angel Grove."

Tommy nodded slightly, thinking back over other changes. "I've known David just over a year. I've known _you_ almost two and a half now."

Both fell silent again as they watched a few stray remaining clouds shift this way and that against the dark midnight sky. Kat glanced at her watch; it was still a few minutes to go until the turning of the year in their part of the world. "Have you thought about any New Year's resolutions yet? Winning some big race or going to college or something like that?"

"I don't really make resolutions." Tommy stared up at the gleaming stars above. "They always wind up being broken somehow."

Kat reached up to bring his head down so she could look into his eyes. "A lot of mine have. But there was one I made last year that I really hope has come true. Because I made it for you."

She was close enough to see his eyes widen in surprise, and smiled. He always looked so much like a little boy when that happened. All the defensiveness and mental armor built up over the years just vanished when she caught him by surprise. It was a good look on him, and she decided to try to it again as often as she could. Maybe she'd even get a picture or two with that startled look in his eyes.

"You what?"

Well, that was pithy and intelligent. She grinned at him. "I made a resolution for you. I decided I was going to do anything I could to make certain you were as happy as you deserve to be." Blue eyes touched brown. "It's been a year, Tommy. Did I keep my resolution?"

His arms folded around her softly and he leaned closer, his lips hovering just above hers. "You kept it, Kat. You kept it better than you ever imagined." Their lips touched softly, gently, but only for a moment. He pulled back and asked, "Have you thought about a resolution for this year?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Her fingers caressed their way through his hair softly, undoing the ponytail so she could enjoy her hair fetish to the fullest extent. "I resolve to be in love with you this time next year, and every year after that, as I am in now. Or more in love, if I can manage it."

Tommy smiled, his eyes light and full of love as he kissed her gently and tenderly. "Sounds like a good idea to me. Let's do it together." He kissed her again, as the clocks began to strike twelve, and a new year began.

**The End**


End file.
